Different
by Icetail
Summary: What do you mean?" asked Jaypaw, cocking his head to one side. Cinderpaw shrugged. "I dunno, you're just... different. But I like that about you!" Jaypaw sighed. "And why do you consider me... different?"


Jaypaw padded around and around the medicine cat den wearily. He was supposed to be preparing a poultice for one of Ferncloud's kit, but he found it impossible to concentrate, because a certain cat was on his mind; Cinderpaw. She walked through his dreams, and whenever he had a chance, he would think about her. Every time they would exchanged a few words, he would remember her every sentence.

"Jaypaw?" his sister Hollypaw pushed her way into the medicine cat den.

"What?"

"Leafpool is back from collecting mallow. She wants to know if the poultice is ready." Hollypaw mewed.

"Tell her I'm done with it yet,"

"Jaypaw, is something wrong?" asked Hollypaw, cocking her head to one side.

"I'm fine," he said shortly.

"Are you sure? Lately you seem..." she searched for the right words. "Distracted."

"I'm _fine,_" said Jaypaw, starting to get annoyed.

"Okay, okay, no need to bite my tail off!" Hollypaw covered her chest with a few licks. "Well, I'll just go tell Leafpool-"

"Tell me what?" asked Leafpool, coming into the den with a clump of mallow in her mouth.

"I just didn't finish the poultice, that's all," said Jaypaw, turning back to his work.

"Well, I guess I can do that if you want," suggested Leafpool.

"Okay," Jaypaw moved away, and let his mentor finish his work.

"Why don't you go and get some fresh-kill? You haven't eaten for a while, and you must be hungry," mewed Leafpool.

"Okay, d'you want anything?" asked Jaypaw.

"No, thanks anyway though."

Jaypaw shrugged, and headed to the fresh-kill pile. He was really hoping to meet Cinderpaw, since it had been a while since they had talked. He selected a plump vole from the pile, and carried it over to where Lionpaw was eating by the half-rock.

"Hi Jaypaw," said Lionpaw, looking up briefly from plucking feathers from a sparrow.

"Hi," Jaypaw took a bite of vole. Cinderpaw didn't seem to be anywhere. _There goes my chance of seeing her, _he thought angrily.

Hollypaw came wandering over, from the apprentice's den.

"Hi Jaypaw," she said. "Hi Lionpaw."

"Hi," they both said.

"So what are you two planning to do today?" asked Hollypaw.

"I'm going on the evening patrol with Ashfur, Sandstorm, and Honeypaw." said Lionpaw.

"And you Jaypaw?" asked Hollypaw.

"Oh, I think I'm going to go and look for catmint by the two-leg set." said Jaypaw vaguely.

"Brackenfur gave me the evening off, so I'm going to go hunting with Cinderpaw later. Maybe you can come with us!" meowed Hollypaw to Jaypaw.

Jaypaw's ears pricked up. _Cinderpaw _would be there_. _"Okay." said Jaypaw quickly, trying not to sound too eager, because he knew perfectly well that medicine cats couldn't fall in love.

"Great!" purred Hollypaw. "I'll see you later! I'm going to tell Cinderpaw, this is going to be fun!"

**OooOoOoOoOoOoO**

After finishing his meal, Jaypaw went back to the medicine den. Leafpool was in her next, washing herself. She didn't even look up when Jaypaw came in.

"Hi." he said, settling himself into his nest beside her.

"Hi,"

"I've noticed that were running low on catmint," he said, desperately praying that this was true.

"I've noticed that too." said Leafpool thoughtfully.

"Why don't I go and collect some later today?"

Leafpool hesitated.

"Hollypaw and Cinderpaw are going hunting, and they said I could come."

"That's fine with me." said Leafpool, returning to her washing.

"Okay then," said Jaypaw. He laid his head on his paws, and closed his eyes with a sigh. He didn't really know when Cinderpaw would get there, so he might as well get some sleep. He lay still for a few minutes, and then sleep claimed him, and he drifted off to sleep.

What seemed like a few seconds only for Jaypaw, before he was being jerked awake by a cat.

"Jaypaw! Wake up!" it was his sister, Hollypaw.

"Huh?"

"Come _on, _it's time to go. Hurry up or we'll go without you!" Hollypaw mewed impatiently.

"I'm coming," Jaypaw hauled himself up onto his paws.

Hollypaw led the way to the entrance of the camp, where Cinderpaw was waiting.

"Hi Jaypaw!" Cinderpaw meowed happily. "I'm glad you decided to come, this is going to be really fun!"

"I guess..." muttered Jaypaw.

"So what herb are you looking for?" asked Hollypaw once they were out of the camp.

"Catmint," said Jaypaw promptly.

Cinderpaw gasped. "Isn't catmint used for greencough?"

"Don't worry, it's only for the store," Jaypaw reassured Cinderpaw. "Leafpool and I noticed that we were running low, that's all."

Cinderpaw nodded seriously.

"So where are we going to go hunting?" Hollypaw asked Cinderpaw.

"Oh, I dunno, since Jaypaw has to go to the old two-leg set, maybe we should hunt nearby, so that we can stay together." said Cinderpaw.

"Good idea." said Hollypaw.

Jaypaw pawed at the ground angrily. Was he ever going to get a moment alone with Cinderpaw?!

"Are you okay?" Hollypaw asked Jaypaw anxiously.

"Fine," he muttered, he felt Cinderpaw's warm gaze on his pelt.They got closer to the two-leg set, and Jaypaw could smell the smell of catmint.

Just as Jaypaw bent down to pick a few stems, he heard a loud yowl.

"BADGER!"


End file.
